Lucent And Divesity Essay, Research Paper

In February 5, 1996 AT&T announced that its new systems and technology company has selected Lucent Technologies as its name. Lucent currently employees 153,000 people worldwide and have offices or distributors in more than 90 countries.

Lucent now is a global company on the technology’s cutting edge, helping to drive a worldwide communications revolution. Lucent?s mission is to provide customers with the world’s best and most innovative communications systems, products, technologies and customer support, and to deliver superior, sustained shareowner value.

Lucent is a company where people of every age, background, nationality, and culture thrive and contribute. Lucent claims to be a company that believes in the value of mentors and in helping people discover the right career paths. Lucent also claims to be a company that has a work environment with a no-rules style, flexible hours, fitness facilities, special interest clubs, and professional networks.

Lucent claims that ?diversity in all areas of its operations is not only a reflection of its deeply held values and a corporate responsibility, it is also a business imperative?an integral part of Lucent’s business environment that create differential advantage and contribute significantly to customer satisfaction and our business success? .

Lucent’s workforce is comprised of people of every age, background, nationality, and culture. Lucent claims that respecting differences is an integral part of their culture and a key element for our success. Lucent knows that to achieve business excellence, their decisions must be based on the widest range of perspectives and contributions. Perhaps that is why Lucent was named number 8 on Fortune Magazine’s 1999 list of “The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.” Lucent’s work force diversity is also expressed in Lucent’s Employee Business Partner Groups which meet the needs of different ethnic and social groups.

Lucent’s supplier diversification program, the Minority and Women’s Business Enterprise (MWBE) initiative, ensures that we provide maximum opportunity to minority- and women- owned businesses to participate as suppliers, contractors and subcontractors of goods and services to us.

MWBE is a minority- and/or woman-owned business enterprise that is at least 51% owned, controlled, and operated by men and women who are:

? African Americans

? Hispanic Americans

? Asian Americans

? Native Americans

? Hasidic Jews (New York only)

? Non-minority women

Lucent Technologies three years ago began a supplier diversification program which became one of the most successful corporate programs on the globe. Through supplier diversity, Lucent is able to provide our customers with high-quality, cost-efficient products and services on a timely basis. Lucent?s relationships with minority- and women-owned businesses allow them strategic use of experience, location and technology, which enable us to meet our customers’ requirements.

?This a list of Lucent MWBE Supplier Payments by Ethnic Group October 1997 – September 1998 (Dollars in Millions)

African American $119.3

Hispanic 102.1

Asian/Indian 95.0

Mixed Minority 22.2

Native American 36.2

Asian/Pacific 138.4

Total MBE 513.2

White Female 463.5

Total MWBE $976.7?

MWBE ensures that qualified minority- and women-owned businesses have the maximum opportunity to participate as suppliers, contractors and subcontractors of goods and services. ?This approach supports Lucent’s GROWS initiative that emphasizes the following behaviors?Global growth mindset; Results focus; Obsession with customers and about competitors; a Workplace that’s open, supportive and diverse; and Speed? .

The Lucent Strategic Channel Partner program seeks to develop a set of minority-, woman-, and disabled-veteran- owned business enterprises (MWDVBE) to serve as alternative channels to market, and resell their products and services. There are also opportunities for MWDVBE’s to become Lucent suppliers.

MWDVBE is a Minority, Woman or Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise (MWDVBE) in communications. Lucent helps minority, Woman or disabled with support and solutions to help you grow into a bigger, more profitable company.

Lucent is on its way to developing a “strategic” set of MWDVBE?s to serve as alternate channels to market and resell our products and services. By becoming one of Lucent’s Strategic Channel Partners, they will be benefiting from a strategic relationship through our joint marketing initiatives, focused training and support, diversified customer base and use of the Lucent logo for authorized reselling.

Lucent is currently embarking on the development of a world-class strategy for the deployment of alternate channels to market, to compliment our direct sales force. In Lucent’s drive to align with the most qualified, capable and competitive Minority, Women and Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (MWDVBE?s), they are committed to identifying and working with our strategic MWDVBE channel partners to Make available the newest and most innovative products and solutions for resellers. Provide and participate in joint marketing, training, and documentation. Enable the customization of solutions for telephony and data communications companies. Facilitate and foster the diversification of their customer base.

In order to qualify Lucent requires that your company be certified as a MWDVBE by a third party. Preferably be ISO Certified or at least ISO compliant. Be EDI Capable. Be able to demonstrate financial viability. Exercise internal MWDVBE initiatives. Present a diverse workforce. If this strategy aligns with the company’s goals, they can contact Lucent for registration Information.

Lucent’s Employee Business Partner Groups play an important role in realizing this business success. The partners offer a wide variety of programs that address the needs of different ethnic and social groups:

4A Asian-Pacific American Association for Advancement at Lucent

ABLE Alliance of Black Lucent Employees

EQUAL! Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgendered Employees of Lucent

HISPA Hispanic Association of Lucent Employees

IDEAL Individuals with Disabilities Enabling Advocacy Link at Lucent

LUNA United Native Americans of Lucent

WILL Women in Leadership at Lucent

In addition to supporting these Business Groups, Lucent also supports global Diversity Councils. Sponsors an annual three-day Diversity and EO/AA Conference. Supports several executive-level Global Diversity and EO/AA Strategy Teams. Publishes an annual World Diversity Calendar. Publishes an annual Supplier Diversification Report. And also continues to grow in the proportion of business we do with Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises.

Bibliography

BIBILIOGRAPHY

Diversity, Retrieved March 10, 2000 form the World Wide Web: http://www.lucent.com/news/corpinfo/diversity.html

Life @ Lucent, Retrieved March 10, 2000 from the World Wide Web: http://www.lucent.com/work/culture.html

Opening Doors to Opportunity, April 13, 200 from the World Wide Web: http://www.lucent.com/news/pubs/mwbe/